Some video games just aren’t for everyone. Don’t ruin them for the rest of us.
In light of the success of FromSoftware’s Elden Ring, the action-adventure RPG that has been taking the world by storm, droves upon droves of interested gamers have purchased the game, sinking hundreds of hours into the overworld. Some of these consumers are hardened Dark Souls fanatics, while others are casual gamers who just want to know the big deal (like me).
I am mainly a first-person shooter kind of guy; so, fast-paced matchups that rely upon twitchy reactions and accurate aiming are what I thrive in. For this reason, action-adventure games are challenging for me, as they pull me out of my comfort zone and force me to adapt to new move sets, playstyles, HUDs and user interfaces.
No action RPG is the same, and ever since sinking my teeth into Elden Ring, I have realized what makes these types of games so intriguing: the challenge. Yet, not every player wants to have such a challenging experience. Many have called for an easy mode to be implemented into games such as Elden Ring and other RPGs to make them more accessible to gamers of all stripes.
The argument is two-fold. For one, these easy-mode advocates claim that if the game is too difficult, then an unfamiliar player will have difficulty getting into the series.
I am case study #1 for this line of thinking. Since Elden Ring is my first Dark Souls game, I was not familiar with the lore, movement system, button controls or menus. To top it off, Elden Ring features no tutorial. Instead, the developers throw you into a boss fight right off the bat like a mother bird throws her newly hatched chick out of the nest—you either learn to fly or you die. That’s pretty much what this game is like.
I personally like this experience because it gives the game a tailor-made feel. You are not offered a wide range of options when it comes to difficulty. The developers intentionally created the enemies and world in the manner in which they did, and if you dislike it, well, get a refund. Me and the other millions of gamers will soak up every penny’s worth of content you left behind.
The second line of argumentation from the easy-mode advocates has to do with accessibility. If the game is too difficult, then players with disabilities will struggle to get into them.
Video game developers and companies have integrated assistive features into their gaming experiences for over a decade now. The highlights of the game’s palette can be altered to be more recognizable for those with color blindness, controllers can be modded to fit the needs of those who only have one hand and more amazing innovations.
The Act Man, a gaming YouTuber, covered this controversial topic. On one of his videos, a commenter, Jacob Pourchot, claimed to suffer from cerebral palsy. In stating the reality of his condition, he noted, “But that doesn’t mean you should take away from the amazing experience that is a From Software game. Overcoming the soul-crushing difficulty is where the full experience comes from. I have beat Dark Souls 1, 2, 3, and Sekiro despite my shortcomings. As someone with a disability, I don’t want to be treated differently. I want to prove myself by completing the same challenges as my peers,” he wrote.
Following his comment, many other gamers who suffered from disabilities reciprocated his thoughts, further emphasizing the point that the difficulty of these games is suitable for all who want to take on a true challenge.
Clearly, some gamers are faint of heart.
The Beat @APU 